SPCA sleepover heaps of fun
People who slept over and pledged to raise funds were assigned a kennel with a kennel buddy, which was one of the animals up for adoption.
The Brakpan SPCA held their annual sleepover charity event last Saturday evening on their premises along Denne Road.
The event entails people sleeping over in assigned kennels, or staying there until they have raised the funds they pledged as “adoption fees”.
Each person is assigned a kennel with a buddy, or one of the animals at the shelter, and some even adopt their kennel buddy at the end of the night.
Some sleep in tents in the larger open kennels. Each person sleeping over gets assigned a profile, like that of the animals up for adoption, and the campaign to raise funds entails sharing that profile on Facebook as if the people are up for adoption.
The event wasn’t all sleep, however, with burgers for dinner, s’mores for dessert, a campfire sing-along and alcohol-free cocktails keeping things festive.
The Rugby World Cup match between South Africa and Ireland was also projected onto a screen so those in attendance could watch.
Each person also received a water bottle, a bone-shaped cookie, and a bag of dog treats to give to their kennel buddy throughout the night.
Eliske de Klerk, an employee of Devon Hulpsentrum of which a few employees as well as the owner slept over, said: “I feel like there are very few people who are interested or care in the welfare of these animals. I want people to be interested in all the animals, not just their own.”
Anke Marais and Dian le Roux shared a kennel. They participated so they could give the animals some love and attention.
Tyla Nel and Genicka Myburgh also shared a kennel. For them it is for a good cause, and not just because it’s fun.
Andrew Coch came all the way from Edenvale, at the invitation of one of the SPCA volunteers that he knows personally.
The premises have about 20 kennels that are suitable for people to sleep in, so they are limited in how many people they can accommodate for this annual event.
Funds raised this year will go towards general maintenance and upkeep, as well as the goal of appointing a permanent veterinarian.
The society needs an on-site vet to establish a low-cost clinic, but also in case of emergencies.
Other ways in which the SPCA raises funds are the charity shop and second-hand bookshops, as well as frequent markets and events (the details of which can be found on their Facebook page).
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